For the last two plus years, ever since he took office, Oklahoma's state superintendent of public education, Ryan Walters has made sure, 1: the state board members go along with whatever he wants and 2: his name is constantly in the media. During this time, he has plowed on through lawsuits (right now 18 and counting) brought by parents, teachers, local school districts, and superintendents. He has spent thousands of taxpayer dollars, not for stuff like science textbooks, but rather to PR firms who worked to get him booked on national cable news outlets. His pursuit of headlines is so all consuming, when he found out he was under investigation by the state ethics commission he made a big show of arriving at the door of the Oklahoma House of Representatives so he could dare them to impeach him.
In every instance Walters has adopted the language and attitude of the Ultra MAGA right. All opposition is met with terms such as, "radical leftist," and "promoter of woke agendas," or the latest, "pleasing the swamp." He also loves to invoke the name of his Lord and Inspiration, Donald J. Trump.
In fact when he demanded students, no matter what the age, and their parents provide not only proof of their immigration status, but also their addresses and phone numbers--raising the specter of ICE raids at places like Grover Cleveland Elementary School--he claimed he was doing so because he supported the policies of Donald Trump. The not-so-subtle hint being anyone not in favor of dragging second graders off of school playgrounds is betraying the President.
The truth is, everyone who lives in this state realizes Ryan Walters' primary goal isn't improving Oklahoma's schools, (And God knows our kids have the standardized test scores to prove it) but to become the Sooner State Donald Trump. Unfortunately for the Superintendent, during this process he has managed to become not, a mini-Trump, but our version of Matt Gaetz.
Indeed, Ryan Walters' taste for bellicose, self-righteous bull shit, his relentless self-promotion, and his firm belief that he and he alone should decide what goes on around here, has pissed off everyone. And that's not just we, happy few, band of democrats, but almost every republican in state politics.
Earlier this week, lame duck Governor, Kevin Stitt decided to act. He replaced three sitting board members who had rubber stamped all of Walters' decisions. He let the two most recent arrivals to the board stay, while the remaining seat was left open. Ryan Walters was, let's say, miffed. He fired off a post on social media, which in part read, "Governor Stitt has joined the swampy political establishment that President Trump is fighting against."
Walters' mood worsened when Oklahoma Attorney General and current gubernatorial candidate, Gentner Drummond jumped into the argument. Drummond sent letters to Stitt's three nominees (they have to be approved by the state senate) basically telling them not to pay any attention to Walters, but to vote for things that might actually improve Oklahoma's schools. Drummond, who isn't a fan of Stitt either, went on to condemn the Governor for putting up with Walters this long. Walters' response was, "Liberal Gentner Drummond needs to stop pretending to be Governor and start doing his job." Later he added, "Teacher's unions have a new ally in Drummond to support their corruption and undermining of our schools." There was more, but you get the drift.
Needless to say, even though he hasn't announced it yet, there is little doubt Ryan Walters is going to run against Drummond during the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary. Let's face it, his run amok quest for power and fame isn't going to stop at the state board of education. The Governor's office is the next logical step since he won't have to challenge an incumbent for the seat.
The question though is, has Walters' complete fealty to all things Trumpy gone too far? In January he showed up at a demonstration of the state capitol steps which was protesting against wind driven power turbines. Trump's public opposition to them is based on the number of birds they kill. Since this compassion for wildlife seems a tad fraudulent, we really don't know why Trump doesn't like those giant windmills spinning in the western skies. But, hey, if Trump doesn't want them then Ryan Walters doesn't either. Kevin Stitt, on the other hand does and more importantly, so do a lot of big dollar Oklahoma investors and business types.
Those same business leaders love to recruit new corporate investment into the state. A poor public education infrastructure--which Ryan Walters is delivering--is a detriment to their efforts. A while back, the City's daily paper, The Oklahoman, sponsored a meeting of these movers and shakers. They rose to their feet in applause when one speakers told the room, "This guy (Walters) has to go"
And despite all of his slavish adoration of Donald Trump, it remains unclear at this time if the Mango Mussolini has even heard of Ryan Walters. In other words, a Presidential endorsement in 2026 isn't a sure bet. Trump may like devotees, but if push comes to shove and the payoff is right, he'll sell them out every time.
Yes, it now feels like the bell has begun to toll for Ryan Walters. He may well have pushed his act too far. And, as ee all know, these days there is only one guy who gets away with pushing things too far--and he currently resides in Washington D.C.
2-14-25
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